NFL roundup
Undrafted rookie Salvon Ahmed and veteran Matt Breida combined for 208 yards rushing Sunday to lead the Miami Dolphins to a 22-12 victory over the New England Patriots, who were eliminated from playoff contention, ending their NFL-record run of 11 consecutive postseason appearances.
The Dolphins entered the game last in the league in yards per carry, and Ahmed became their first 100-yard rusher since 2018, totaling 122 yards and scoring a 2-point conversion on a trick play.
The Dolphins (9-5) bolstered their wild-card chances and are assured of a winning record for only the second time since 2008.
The Patriots (6-8) will finish at .500 or worse for the first time since 2000, the year they drafted Tom Brady. They fall one year short of matching the Dallas Cowboys’ NFL record of 20 consecutive winning seasons.
Kansas City 32, New Orleans 29: Patrick Mahomes had his full repertoire of side-arm throws, basketball-style push passes and underhanded flips on display while passing for 254 yards and three touchdowns, and the Kansas City Chiefs extended their winning streak to nine games with a 32-29 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
The Kansas City defense did its part to spoil Drew Brees’ return from rib fractures and a punctured lung that had kept the record-setting passer out four games.
The victory kept the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (13-1) in pole position to capture the AFC’s lone playoff bye as a No. 1 seed. The Saints (10-4), meanwhile, missed a chance to clinch the NFC South for a second straight week and now are longshots to capture the NFC’s top seed.
Baltimore 40, Jacksonville 7: The Baltimore Ravens built a 26-point halftime lead against helpless Jacksonville and rolled to a 40-7 victory that boosted their playoff chances and extended the Jaguars’ losing streak to 13 games.
Lamar Jackson threw three touchdown passes and ran for a score to carry the Ravens (9-5) to their third straight win following a three-game skid. Hopeful of reaching the postseason for the third year in a row, Baltimore is among several AFC teams vying for three wild-card spots.
Tampa Bay 31, Atlanta 27: Tom Brady did it again to the Atlanta Falcons. This time, he didn’t even need overtime.
Rallying Tampa Bay from a pair of 17-point deficits, Brady recreated his Super Bowl miracle by leading the Buccaneers on five straight scoring drives in the second half for a 31-27 victory over the stunned Falcons.
Indianapolis 27, Houston 20: Philip Rivers threw a late, tiebreaking touchdown to Zach Pascal and the Indianapolis Colts defense recovered a fumble in the end zone with 19 seconds left to seal a 27-20 victory over the Houston Texans.
Indy (10-4) has won three straight to retain a share of the AFC South lead with Tennessee, winners over Detroit. Houston (4-10) has lost three straight and five of six in this series.
Tennessee 46, Detroit 25: Ryan Tannehill ran for two touchdowns and threw three more, and Derrick Henry ran for 147 yards and a score to move the Tennessee Titans closer to clinching their third playoff berth in four seasons routing the Detroit Lions 46-25.
The Titans (10-4) did their part with their second straight victory and fourth in five games to stay atop the AFC South.
N.Y. Jets 23, L.A. Rams 20: Sam Darnold passed for 207 yards and the New York Jets finally earned the first victory of their miserable season, holding on for a 23-20 win that erased the possibility of the third winless 16-game season in NFL history.
Frank Gore rushed for an early touchdown and made a decisive third-down reception with 2:05 left for the Jets (1-13), who also ended the longest losing streak in franchise history with a strong start and a gritty finish at SoFi Stadium.
Embattled coach Adam Gase got his first win of the year only after New York blew most of a 17-point lead in the second half. The Jets’ defense stopped the Rams on downs at midfield with 3:54 to play before Darnold hit Gore with a short pass over the middle to convert a third down that allowed the Jets to run out the clock.
Arizona 33, Philadelphia 26: Kyler Murray threw for a career-high 406 yards, DeAndre Hopkins had 169 yards receiving and a stellar touchdown catch, and the Arizona Cardinals improved their position in the playoff race by beating the Philadelphia Eagles 33-26.
Arizona (8-6) won its second straight game as it tries to make the postseason for the first time since 2015. The Cardinals are in third place in their division behind the Rams and Seahawks and would currently be the No. 7 and final seed in the NFC playoffs.
Seattle 20, Washington 15: Russell Wilson and the Seahawks built a big lead, and Seattle’s suddenly opportunistic defense held on to beat Washington 20-15 and clinch a playoff spot.
Wilson threw for a touchdown, Carlos Hyde ran 50 yards for a score, and the Seahawks (10-4) picked off Washington quarterback Dwayne Haskins twice. Shaquill Griffin and D.J. Reed each had an interception as the league’s worst passing defense played strong until the fourth quarter.
Chicago 33, Minnesota 27: David Montgomery rushed for a career-high 146 yards and two touchdowns as the Chicago Bears trampled Minnesota’s depleted defense and hung on for a 33-27 victory to stay in the hunt for the expanded playoffs.
Dallas 41, San Francisco 33: Tony Pollard ran for two touchdowns with Ezekiel Elliott sidelined by an injury for the first time in the two-time rushing champion’s career, and the Dallas Cowboys beat the San Francisco 49ers, 41-33.
Buffalo 48, Denver 19: The Buffalo Bills captured their first AFC East title in a quarter-century Saturday when 24-year-old quarterback Josh Allen threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more in a 48-19 rout of the Denver Broncos.
Green Bay 24, Carolina 16: Aaron Jones rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown as the Green Bay Packers reached the end zone on their first three series before hanging on to beat the Carolina Panthers 24-16 Saturday night.